Tian'anmen, Forbidden City and Art Zone

Greetings from the 798 Art Zone, Dashanzia, Chaoyang District:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/798_Art_Zone

This is my 3rd blog and it is the first time in a week I have been able to get online, using the proxy server, to blog.  At various times I have lost my security software and had technical difficulties with different servers using different Internet Protocols.  Anyway, I have found a chilled area, away from the throng, not far from the airport expressway.  My interest in art has been refuelled by working at CAFA.  It has always been there in my life, just not directly coming from me.  People I have known are or have been artists, so I feel comfortable dealing with the creative, albeit unorganised minds of artists.  Please check out more information from the wikipedia page (above) which mentions CAFA - the place where i am teaching.

I made the easy decision to have a touristy weekend, taking in the obvious sights of Beijing.  No.1 stop was the Olympic Stadium, the Bird's Nest (continuing my occasional tour of olympic staidums following my first visit to Seoul).  No.2 stop was The Forbidden City, an amazingly huge collection of historic buildings and the calm-hearted centre of the capital.  The former residence of Ming and Qing dynasties, it was off limits to common folk for 500 years.  You can sense the urgency and excitement of the Han Chinese to visit the place (and the palace) - it is as if they are making up for generations of lost opportunity.  The Gate Of Heavenly Peace marks the entrance, and is familiar to all as the 'Tian'anmen' Gate - the red one with the famous painting of Mao Zedong in the centre.  This also acts as the exit and the point at which Mao overlooks the biggest public open space in the world - at 444,000 sq metres - Tian'anmen Square. It is grandiously framed by the Great Hall of the People, the China National Museum and the Mao Memorial Hall.  Security is tight, and at every entrance there is screening and a huge number of officers checking that no-one is carrying something that might offensive.  Cameras, however, are not included in the banned list.

I won't dwell on the catastrophic events of 1989 - during the 40th anniversary of the formation of the PRC. Suffice to say that the only minor protests since occurred in 1999 - by no coincidence the 50th anniversary.  Which leads us to now, 2009, and the 60th anniversary, much trumpeted and a celebration that will be bigger than ever.  You can tell.. the people look genuinely excited and there are two huge widescreen projection screens in the square.  The fireworks are being primed, the national guard is ready to parade and millions of red flags with 5 golden/yellow stars are being waved.   As I say, cameras are not banned and, indeed, very much encouraged as the authorities want people to explore the space and smile with their flags.  I borrowed the Bell camcorder, hardly used, and was quite free to film.  I felt positively one of the crowd... although maybe my trusty Pink Floyd rucksack makes me stand out (i certainly hope so).  I am not paranoid about looking like a tourist, and am not bothered if people don't speak to me in Mandarin... as long as they smile genuinely and not out of embarrassment.

So, anyway, I have hardly explored this Arts Complex that I am currently surrounded by... so I am off to discover its hidden delights.  Xiaodan (Coffey) arrives on Tuesday, with her mum, and she will be staying with her Aunt, two tower blocks away from me, in the same Jinyu Guo Wangjing complex.  It will probably be a good week or 2 before I blog again, technical diffculties notwithstanding.  Anyway, for now, Ziajian! 

TP